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Mercer Advisors Appoints New Principal of M&A

Career Moves May 15, 2024 at 02:27 PM
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Martine Lellis

Mercer Global Advisors announced Wednesday that Martine Lellis, who has served as the firm's chief talent officer since 2020, is moving to the newly created role of principal of mergers and acquisitions partner development.

Adding another executive with C-suite experience to the M&A partner development team reflects the company's strategic commitment to inorganic growth, according to the announcement, and helps ensure the success of firms that partner with Mercer Advisors.

Mercer Advisors has been active in the M&A space since 2016, but its strategy has evolved over the years, with Dave Barton transitioning in 2017 from CEO to the firm's vice chairman of M&A strategy. The firm has made some 85 acquisitions since that time, according to the announcement, including several multibillion-dollar deals inked so far this year.

Lellis said her goal in the new role will be to forward the firm's "integrate not aggregate" strategy that appeals to RIA sellers seeking to advance the client and employee experience through joining a firm with national scale and reach.

"We recognize that owners of RIA firms have many options and care deeply about the impact on their clients, employees and themselves," said Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors. "Our C-suite approach to the leadership on our M&A partner development team is grounded in connecting the principals of firms considering selling their businesses with executives who have built, run and guided the evolution of an RIA themselves."

"M&A is one of the indispensable ways that we build the organization's talent, experience and capabilities," Lellis said. "As an integrator, not an aggregator, we seek to leverage all the talent of partnering firms. Talent mapping, career pathing and compensation are critical to both the decision-making process and integration success."

Lellis has a nearly two-decade career in the independent wealth management space, having begun her wealth management career at Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney in 2002. There, she progressed to become the chief operating officer before moving to Mercer.

Pictured: Martine Lellis

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